Oil pumping apparatus



G. C. ENGSTRAND OIL PUMPING APPARATUS Match 27, 1934.

Filed Feb. 25, 1932 W/TNESJEJ Patented Mar. 27, 1934 PATENT OFFICE OILPUMPING APPARATUS Gunnar C. Engstrand, New York, N. Y:, assignor, I bymesne assignments, to Sludge Pumping,

Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation York of New Application February25, 1932, Serial No. 595,165,

\ 2 Claims. (01. 1oa-.-5)

My invention refers to an improvement in oil pumping methods andapparatuses, and it is especially adapted for the removal of heavy oilsand the viscous sludge, which collects at the bottom of storage tanks ofoil burning vessels and oil refineries.

My apparatus is also adapted for the removal of sewage sludge and grit,which collects in the grit basins of sewer service stations.

Such material has often to be raised to considerable heights andtransported for considerable distances to its ultimate place ofdisposal.

Inasmuch as my pumping method changes the nature of extremely viscousoil sludges into stable aerated liquid emulsions of low viscosity, thepumped material may be readily transferred through pipe lines byordinary pumping means.

also; inasmuch as a great quantity of air is injected into thetransmission line during the transfer, only a moderate air pressure isrequired to raise the material to a considerable height. Now, therefore,it is possible to use portable and inexpensive steam jet low pressureairpumps in order to transfer the material from the bottom of a maritimevessel and over the side of the vessel into an overside receptacle.

My apparatus is also adapted for the use of a plurality of intakes whichdischarge into a common transmission line. I

Extremely viscous sludges have hitherto withstood all attempts ofconventional pumping and hand methods are generally employed in theirremoval.

More recently vacuum systems have been employed, where air is admittedat the suction end of the transmission line.

Such methods, however, require considerable apparatus and the amount ofsucked up material is so reduced by the air admittance that only anextremely low pumping efliciency is attainable.

Neither has it been found possible to employ sev eral intakes inconjunction with a vacuum transmission line as the air admission of oneof the intakes kills the vacuum necessary for the others.

Now, therefore, I have discovered that by means of sucking the materialin a solid liquid column by a steam jet pump and also compressing airtogether with steam into the discharge line from said jet pump," it ispossible to raise the material to a great height and transfer iteconomically for a considerable distance.

The blowing of air together with steam into the viscous material; whichhas been considerably heated by the intake steam jet, causes thematerial to break up inside the transmission line,

whereupon the steam will condense in the material and air'will fill thevacuum space left therein by the condensed steam, and an aerated liquidemulsion results.

This emulsion is relatively stable and is smooth and soapy to the touchas friction results in the breaking of the tiny air bubbles in theemulsion. Now, therefore, this emulsion will in transfer through a pipeline ride on an air film and a nearly frictionless transfer will result.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 shows my preferred apparatus used to transfer viscous materialfrom theinterior of a maritime vessel into a slop barge moored at theside of the vessel.

Figure 2 shows an apparatus employing two intakes and also a booster airpump for the same kind of work.

In the drawing; where like reference characters denote correspondingparts; (1) denotes the ship from the double bottom of which the viscousmaterial (2) is removed and pumped into the slop barge (3) which isshown moored at the ship's side.

On the deck of the slop barge (3) the boiler (4) is installed, fromwhich the steam is furnished to the different apparatuses by means ofthe steam hose (5).

The steam jet suction pumps (6) are shown dipped in the material to beremoved. These jet pumps are preferably of a conventional sewer pumptype which allows for the passage of solids and may be provided withsuction hose (7) as shown in Figure 1.

The steam jet pumps (6) siphon the material through the branch hose ('7)into the transmission line (8) which is shown connected thereto and ledover the ship's side into the overside barge receptacle.

Close to the hose connection the air and steam inlet (9) isprovided,'through which the steam jet low pressure air compressor (10)discharges into the transmission line proper.

The steam hose (11) connect the main steam line (5) with the differentjet suction pumps and steam jet air compressors and also with thebooster locomotive air compressor (12), shown in Figure 2. I

The operation is as follows:--The solid liquid column is sucked into andforcedthrough the branch hose (7) by the steam jet pumps (6) Thus aheated solid liquid column is forced through the branch hose (7) by thehydraulic or liquid pressure set up by the steam jet pumps (6).

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Upon its entrance into the transmission line proper the pumped and nowheated material is broken up by the high velocity steam and air blastemitting from the steam jet air compressors.

Now, therefore, the transmission over the ship's side is decidedly aspray transmission in which the spray is made up by sludge fragments,the fragments being aerated and suspended in transit by the violent airstream which ensues in the transmission line proper.

In the form of invention shown in Figure 2,

. a locomotive air compressor (12) delivers compressed air to the intakeof the steam jet low pressure air compressor -(10).

The compressor (12) is of the conventional tandem type having thedriving steam cylinder superimposed on the air compression cylinder. Thesteam necessary for the operation is furnished by the steam line (11)and compressed air is delivered to the intake of the low pressure aircompressor (10).

As this compressor is only capable of a moderatecompression rate, thecompressed air delivered thereto by the locomotive compressor will onlyreceive by the steam jet low pressure compressor a slight additionalcompression, but the air and steam stream, which passes through theconnection (9) into the transmission line (8) will have'a degree ofcompression considerably higher than the compression capacity of thesteam jet compressor (10) if unassisted by the booster compressor (12).

This form of the invention is adapted to use,

where the elevation is too high to overcome by the steam jet compressor(10).

It is to be noted that-the conventional steam jet intake pumps mostpreferably are operated by a somewhat reduced steam jet. Such a steamjet reduction will enable the steam jet pump to act as an efiective aircompressor and in a multiple intake apparatus the separate air injectormay be dispensed with.

I am not limiting my claims for invention to the apparatus shown, as itis obvious that modifications may be made in the adaption of my devicewithout departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

1. The method of pumping viscous material characterized by creating asuction at the end of the transmission line to thereby suck the materialinto the transmission line in a solid liquid column, heating thematerial upon its entrance into the transmission line, subsequentlyadmitting air and steam at high velocity into the transmission line toconvert the pumped material into an aerated emulsion and to cause aspray transmission through the transmission line.

2. A pumping apparatus comprising in combination a. steam jet suctionpump, a transmission line, a connection between the discharge of saidsuction pump and the transmission line, a steam jet low pressure aircompressor and a connection between the discharge from said aircompressor and the transmission line.

GUNNAR. C. ENGSTRAND.

